An adventure set in the lofty heights (and dangerous depths)of Hindu thought. Insider tips? Relax, dissolve your preconcieved notions & get chanting.And by the way, dont believe all that you hear! A rudimentary knowledge of Sanskrit, Tamil and a fleeting accquaintance with the puranas and other such texts might come in handy.
Wisdom takes courage.

Speak not in
envy, stray not from the Dharmic way,
Covet not other's riches with lustful greedy glances;
With heart to pity attuned, as you sit down to eat,
Share with others before the feast commences. I.5.10.196

Com -Speak not in envy, stray not
from the Dharmic way, you must not speak ill of others (biased by envy, jealousy, anger etc)
and lead yourself into the path of adharmA
(improper conduct). Covet not other's
riches with lustful greedy glances; you must not act out of hatred and
greed and want what is not rightfully yours, you must not commit theft and
violence (which stem out of greed and hatred) for improper gain. With heart to pity attuned, as you sit down
to eat, You must live with a controlled mind that has learnt to be content
with what is available and when sitting down to eat (with the senses
controlled) Share with others before the
feast commences. You must be compassionate to the needs of others, and if
someone comes visiting, share at least a ladle of food with them before you
commence your own meal.

*In
the last mantra of this subsection
the sage leaves us with a few good pointers. One must remain unaffected by envy
and jealousy as they cause one to commit actions that are impure and unjust. One
must also remain free of greed and anger as these will drag one to base actions
that have devastating consequences. It is also good to note that these emotions
cloud the mind and cause agitation that renders meditation and contemplation
impossible. Learning to be content with what is available; one must live a
regulated life if desirous of self knowledge. Most importantly (being aware of
the momentary nature of life and the preciousness of life) we must be
empathetic to the needs of those around us and be ready to share what we have
with those that don’t or those who are guests in our home. Upholding these
morals one must live this short life and try to rid the mind of its useless
delusions and dangerous emotions. Some of these morals will be discussed in
greater detail in different sub sections to follow within the body of the first
tantrA.

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

In the 195th mantrA, the sage displays his superior wit by twists on the word fate. He opines that nothing more than a proper discriminatory intellect is essential to discern what is good and what is not. Of what use are the laws and decrees in the case of one lacking the awareness that their actions have consequences.

Perform thou
noble deeds, good Karma to shape,
Praise thou the Holy One, the Holy Land to reach;
This is the law we need, this the law for men
Who, blessed with earthly life, seek the Life eternal. I.5.9.195

Com -Perform thou noble deeds, good
Karma to shape,
(You must) recognise that path which is pure and noble and is fitting for
(your) birth and persevere till the end on such a path leading to salvation. Praise thou the Holy One, the Holy Land to
reach; (after the pursuit of such a path long enough) you must go even
higher (subtler) and reach the light mandala
and remain in the contemplation of the supreme as pure effulgence. This is the law we need, this the law for
men.Who, blessed with earthly life, seek the Life eternal. To those (like
you) who have the great fortune to obtain the highest of all births – i.e. as
human,what other law or decree is
needed apart from what has been said above?

*The
sage plays with the word ‘விதி‘which means fate or destiny
as well as law, order, command etc. He suggests that those who have had the
good fortune of being born as a human being are indeed possessed of all the
faculties that would enable them to tread the path towards the supreme. By
proper use of their birth and body, they must understand what actions take them
to higher realms and which actions pull them deeper into the realm of sorrow
and suffering. Then they must choose to perform those activities that will
elevate them and avoid fastidiously all that is counter productive to this end.
From the perishable human body to the immortal body of light, this
transformation is possible through the path of action – right action. Thus
there is no need for further elaboration and issuing hundreds of decrees and
laws (about how to conduct one’s life) to direct those who are aware of the
consequences of their actions. They will naturally tread the right path once
possessed of discrimination or vivEkA.

The bee, that
nectar seeks, flies high for its flower on top
And there, alone, it sucks the fragrant juice;
Even so, they who seek the blessed grace divine,
Aspire for the Light beyond visible reach of eyes. I.5.8.194

Com -The bee, that nectar seeks,
flies high for its flower on top (Akin to) the honey bee that flits around in search
of nectar and flocks to where the flowers bloom And there, alone, it sucks the fragrant juice; and feeds on the
fragrant pollen of various flowers. Even
so, they who seek the blessed grace divine, (are those ignorant people) who
instead of seeking bliss by contemplating the hidden lotus within Aspire for the Light beyond visible reach
of eyes search outside for that supreme bliss that is present (within) as
the effulgence of the sOmasUryAgni
mandala. They do not understand that the supreme light is beyond the reach
of the mind which flows ever outward.

*When
read together with the previous mantra, we can understand the import of this
verse. That the practise of pratyAhArA
or sense withdrawal/ sense control is essential for the sivayOgA path mentioned above.The bee is led to the various flowers through the fragrance and
attractive colours of the different blossoms and flits from bush to bush
distracted by their appearance and smell. Similarly, the agitated and untrained
mind is ever flowing outward. Distracted as it is by the sights and smells of
the material world it is never a fit receptacle to be filled with the nectar of
siva realisation. For, such a mind is deluded about the real nature of bliss,
and blinded by this delusion continues to search outside for something that is
hidden within. When the mind is stilled through proper practise, it is possible
to tread the path of sivayOgA and
attain grace. Otherwise, this life (short as it is) is simply wasted in the
pursuit of simple and momentary pleasures.